


Out of the Ashes

by captainraz



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, F/M, Gen, Genocide, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-23
Updated: 2015-05-23
Packaged: 2018-03-26 08:21:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3843862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainraz/pseuds/captainraz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the wake of personal tragedy, Kira Nerys finds the strength to do what is right and changes the course of the Alpha Quadrant in the process.</p>
<p>Set at the end of the Dominion War arc.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Out of the Ashes

 

“How long has it been? Since you told Starfleet medical you'd found the cure?” This was the fortieth time that day that Miles had asked that question. Not that Julian was counting. At least, he wasn't counting on purpose. Miles was just worried about Odo. They all were.

“Eleven days” replied Julian, rubbing his hands over his face in despair. “Eleven days since we laid the bait. Face it Miles, 31 isn't taking the bait. It was a good plan, but somehow they knew we were bluffing.”

Tears pricked behind the engineer's eyes, but he brushed them aside. “And you've made no progress on a cure? None at all?”

Julian shook his head. “I've gotten some useful data from observing the progress of the disease as it enters the final stages, but nothing that will lead to a cure, at least not any time soon. Even if Section 31 decide to just hand us the cure to this disease, it'll be too late for Odo.”

His voice was hoarse with the lack of sleep and taut with emotion. Julian always got like this when he had to face losing a patient; it was even worse when that patient was a friend.

“How long?” Miles asked, his voice cracking.

“Not long. A few days at most. The nadion therapy’s stopped working, all I can do is keep him comfortable. We did our best, but it wasn't good enough.”

Miles' whole body seemed to sag as it finally sank in that his friend was actually going to die. There would be no last minute miracle, not this time. “I guess we'd better tell the captain, and Ezri and Worf. They'll want to, er. That is, they'll want to come and-”

“Say goodbye?”

“Well, yes,” said Miles, somehow glad that Julian had been the one to finish that thought.

The two men lapsed into silence for a moment, lost in fond memories of the Changeling who was, despite their best efforts, dying in the next room.

“I wish Kira were here,” said Bashir, breaking the silence. He sounded utterly miserable. Miles put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

“Me too Julian, me too.”

_***_

_Cardassia Prime, several days later._

Kira Nerys was pacing up and down the command centre while the battle raged all around her. In orbit over Cardassia Prime, the Federation Alliance Fleet was launching its final attack while on the surface the Cardassian people had taken up arms to overthrow their oppressors.

The war was won, and yet the fighting still raged, all because the Female Changeling refused to give the order to surrender. She would make them fight to the last man, make them pay for their victory with every drop of blood she could squeeze out of them.

She couldn't help herself, Kira kicked a console in frustration. Garak shot her a disapproving look, which she ignored. After a few more minutes of pacing, the frustration was back at peak levels.

“Do something,” Kira exclaimed, talking to both of the command centre's other occupants.

“What do you suggest Commander?” said Garak. His voice was calm and even, but his eyes betrayed the fact he felt the same frustration Kira did.

“We've got to make her surrender,” said Kira desperately, gesturing to the Female Changeling. The Changeling just continued to sit there as she had done for the last hour. “People are _dying_!”

“Solids,” said the Changeling derisively. “Why should I care?”Kira didn't have a compelling answer, at least not one that hadn't already been suggested, dissected and, ultimately rejected. She ran her hands through her filthy hair, trying to dispel the frustration and sense of hopelessness she felt. They'd fought their way here, to the heart of the Dominion war effort, and had paid for it in people's lives.

So many lives.

The lives of friends and comrades. And now that they were here they were stuck, unable to do anything more to help unless they could convince the Founder to surrender. Kira sat down and put her face in her hands. “I wish Odo were here,” she whispered to herself. The Changeling heard her anyway.

“Where _is_ Odo? Our intelligence suggested he was part of your little rebellion. I would have though he would choose to remain by your side until the end,” said the Founder.

Garak's gaze flickered back to Kira, as though to pre-empt the storm he assumed was coming; the Female Changeling was not being subtle about trying to bait Kira into another outburst, but it seemed that none was forthcoming. The emotions dredged up by mentioning Odo's name had taken all the fight out of her.

“We had to take him back to _Deep Space Nine_ ,” said Kira sadly. “He's sick, the same disease that killing you. Doctor Bashir is working on a cure but...”

The Changeling didn't say anything, and her peeling face didn't reveal any emotion. She merely nodded to acknowledge receipt of this new information. Kira put her head back in her hands. She really did wish Odo were here; he might be able to convince the Founder to surrender while there were still enough people left to rebuilt the Alpha Quadrant when they were done.

But he wasn't. In all likelihood the man she loved was already gone, having succumbed to the disease that was killing his people. It was up to Kira now, if she couldn't convince the Founder to give the order, then Odo would have died for nothing.

“I know you don't care about us Solids,” Kira said gently, “but there's no need for you die alone, so far from the Link. Give the order to surrender and I'll make sure you get to go home. At least then you can die with the rest of your people.”

“Commander!” spluttered Garak, a hair's breadth from full blown apoplexy. She shut him up with a wave of her hand, all her concentration on the Founder.

“The Federation Alliance commanders would never allow it,” said the Changeling.

“It doesn't matter,” said Kira, shaking her head. “I'll take you myself. I'll get you home even if I have to disobey orders, I swear to the Prophets.”

“Why?”

“For Odo,” said Kira simply. “Because I love him, even if I still don't fully understand what it means to love a Changeling.” Kira moved across the command centre and knelt in front of the Founder, being careful not to touch her. “I don't understand the Link, but I know what it means to Odo, and I know what he means to me. You're not supposed to be alone like this, you're supposed to be with the rest of your people. You don't have to die alone. Please, give the order.”

After a moment, the Founder simply nodded and then activated her comm unit. When her forces had acknowledged the order to surrender, she turned to Kira. “Congratulations Commander, you just ended the Federation-Dominion War. You've won.”

Kira let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding as relief flooded her body. She looked over at Garak and saw he was doing the exact same thing. It felt a lot like the moment she'd found out the Cardassians were withdrawing from Bajor; immense relief coupled with bone weary exhaustion. She tapped her comm badge.

“Kira to _Defiant_.”

“Sisko here. It's good to hear your voice Commander.”“Yours too Captain.”

Kira filled Sisko in on the situation and he in return confirmed that the Jem'Hadar and Breen forces were standing down. The next thing Kira knew several security officers had beamed down to take the Founder into custody and she was materialising onto the _Defiant_ transporter pad.

Ezri was there to meet her, and while she looked glad to see her friend in one piece, the Trill's eyes were wary and shadowed with grief and pity. Kira's heart fell; there was only one reason Ezri would be looking at her like that. She searched for her friend's face for confirmation and Ezri answered with a nod.

Odo was gone.

Kira felt her knees buckle as a sob wracked her body. Ezri—tiny though she was—was there to catch her. Kira buried her face in her friend's neck as the emotions she'd been suppressing for weeks washed over her. She thought she'd prepared for this moment, thought she'd said her final goodbyes weeks ago and was okay with that, but it transpired that she was wrong. She wasn't ready for Odo to be gone, wasn't ready to deal with the death of another person she loved.

Ezri just held Kira as she cried, stroking her hair wordlessly, never once complaining. Kira held on to her as though she were a lifeline, burrowing her face into the crook of Ezri's neck as she howled and sobbed.

This was not dainty refined crying, this was snotty and horrible and undignified. Kira was covered in sweat and grime and was certainly making a mess of her friend's uniform with her tears, but Ezri didn't care. Her friend was in pain and she was going to do everything she could to help.

Ezri was the only thing keeping her on her feet and between howling waves of grief Kira was quietly impressed by the surprising strength her friend possessed. She held onto Ezri all the tighter, knowing she would not let her fall.

As soon as Kira's tears had slowed down to just the odd hiccuping sob and she could stand on her own feet, Ezri dragged her down the corridor to her quarters and threw her in the sonic shower. Despite her protestations, she felt much better after scrubbing the stain of war from her skin. Kira only wished the stains on her pagh could be removed so easily.

Once she was done in the shower, Ezri fed her, clothed her and put her to bed despite Kira's protests. She was completely exhausted but couldn't sleep. There was simply too much on her mind to sleep. Instead, she found herself drifting in and out of awareness. Ezri stayed with her, curled around her on the bunk, ready to soothe Kira back to sleep when she inevitably woke from a nightmare. The only time Ezri left her side all night was when Captain Sisko came in to see how she was.

The next morning Kira dragged herself to the mess hall for some breakfast and some raktajino. As she inhaled the scent of the Klingon coffee—one of the things she'd missed the most while fighting with the Cardassian resistance—she was joined at her table by Ezri and Julian. The latter of whom looked about as miserable as she felt.

Between the two of them they filled her in on the things she'd missed, and she in turn brought them up to date with her adventures in the Cardassian Liberation Front. Kira had to fight to keep her breakfast down when they told her the preliminary casualty numbers from Cardassia Prime.

“Eight hundred million people,” said Kira in shock before letting out a string of Bajoran invective the translator declined to deal with. Ezri put a hand on her arm.

“It could have been much higher if it wasn't for you,” she said gently.

“Yes, you are something of the hero of the hour. I expect they'll want to pin a medal on you,” said Julian with a forced smile that didn't reach his eyes. Kira was thrown back to that first conversation with Julian.

There wasn't a trace of that bright-eyed and optimistic young lieutenant in the doctor's face any more, and Kira thought that they had all been so much younger then. She herself had come a long way in just seven short years; the angry young terrorist out for Cardassian blood was now a war-weary hero, the saviour of the Cardassian people. How the times change.

The three of them ate in silence for a while, and they were nearly done when Kira finally found the courage to ask Julian about Odo.

“Was it...?” Kira trailed off. She'd been about to ask if Odo's death had been painful, but she knew that it would have been. The machine Julian had rigged up would have given out sometime before the end. She cleared her throat and tried another tack. “Was he alone?”

Ezri took her hand. “Julian and I stayed with Odo until the very end.”“Tell me.”

Ezri and Julian shared a look Kira didn't quite understand, but they seemed to agree that Dax should do the talking.

“When it became clear that a cure wasn't going to materialise, Julian called everyone in to say goodbye. Quark closed the bar down and stayed with him for hours, taking about all the heists Odo never got him for. At one point, I thought he was going to try to get out of bed to arrest him, but all Odo could do was lie there. Quark wouldn't want anyone to know, but I think he was crying as he left the infirmary.

“After everyone had said goodbye I settled in for the duration. He got quiet those last few days, even by Odo's taciturn standards, as the pain got worse. Maintaining his humanoid shape clearly hurt but he refused to stay in his gelatinous form for long. It got to the point where even breathing hurt him, but he maintained the illusion right up until the end. Until he literally couldn't hold his shape any more.

“Just before he lost his form entirely, he grabbed my arm and pulled me close so he could say something. Even speaking hurt him at that point but he managed to ground out the words 'tell Kira' before he collapsed. I think he just wanted me to tell you he loved you.

“He spent his last few hours in his native form and he just looked so sick. If I never see that shade of blue again it'll be too soon. Eventually, he just sort of crumbled away to black dust.” Tears overwhelmed Ezri at that point and she couldn't continue. Julian took over, stammering in a way he hadn't done in years.

“I- I- I wasn't quite sure what to do with his remains, so I just put them in stasis. You're the closest Odo had to family, Nerys, I think he'd want you to deal with them”

Kira nodded mutely, tears rolling down her face. “Thank you, Julian,” she said. “Give me time to think, I'll let you know what I decide to do with them. Maybe I'll be allowed to take his ashes back to the Gamma Quadrant with the Female Founder's. At least then they'll both be with their people.”

Julian twitched then, and Kira had known him long enough to recognise when he had something he was eager to share. Something that was causing him a great deal of both excitement and agitation, judging by the look on his face. Ezri managed to crack a hesitant smile.

“About that...” she said, looking sheepish.

“The Female Founder doesn't necessarily have to die,” said Julian, his voice clearly communicating his mixed emotions.

Kira frowned and wiped at her tears. “You have a cure? But you said you hadn't managed to develop one.”

“I wasn't able to develop one in time to save Odo, but monitoring the final stages of his disease provided me with valuable data. I knew I had to keep working on a cure. I'd be a poor doctor if I gave up because I couldn't save my friend.

“I think I've just about cracked it. I'm almost certain I know how Section 31 created the disease, and how to cure it. There's no guarantee it will work, but if she's willing to be my guinea pig I can try to cure the Founder.”

“That's if the Federation bigwigs let you,” said Ezri harshly. “Up until now they've been more than happy to let the Founders simply die out. Why should that change now we've won the war?”

Kira shook her head. “They can't possibly justify allowing that to happen if there's any possibility of preventing it; it goes against everything the Federation stands for. They have to at least let us _try_... and if they don't I'll do it anyway. I promised to get the Founder home, no matter what. If I can get her home _and_ give her the means to cure her people then all the better.”

“I won't stand by and let the Founders die out, not when there's a chance I can save them. It goes against everything I stand for as a doctor,” said Julian. “If the Female Changeling agrees to try the cure then I'll administer it, and Starfleet can bloody well court martial me for it if they want.”

“Me too,” said Ezri, sticking out her chin defiantly. “I've never been court martialled before and it could be fun. Besides, you're my friend, Nerys. I'm with you no matter what.”

Kira had to fight the tears back down at how loyal her friends were being; they didn't really know what had gone on in the Cardassian command centre or why she was so determined to get the founder home, but they had vowed to stand by her anyway.

“Do either of you know where the female Founder was taken? I was too out of it last night to notice.”

“She's in the brig here on the _Defiant_ ,” said Dax. “Benjamin wanted to keep her close, and close to you, since you're the only one she seems to respond to. You did manage to convince her to give the surrender order after all.”

Kira's mind was spinning with possibilities. “Julian, do you have her cure with you?” she asked.

“I've got a sample in sickbay,” said Julian. “I thought it best to bring some along in case we needed to use it as a bargaining chip.”

“Good thinking,” Kira murmured.

“I must warn you,” he said, putting on his stern physician's voice. “The treatment I've developed is completely untested. I have no idea what the side effects may be, and there's a chance that it might accelerate the disease instead of curing it. We could end up with a pile of dust instead of a high-value prisoner.”

“Then they'll court martial us for sure,” said Ezri, attempting some gallows humour.

“I think the careers of two Starfleet officers and a Bajoran militia Colonel are a small price to pay for a chance to prevent a genocide, don't you?,” Kira said, her voice quiet but resolute. She had already made her decision. “In any case, the choice isn't ours to make. All we can do is offer the Founder the cure and let her decide whether or not to accept our help.”

“Well then,” said Julian, his voice falsely chipper. “There's no time like the present. If I'm going to end my career over this then it might as well be before I go on duty. I'll go set everything up and meet you outside the brig in ten minutes.” Julian got up, recycled his breakfast tray in the replicator and left the mess hall.

Kira turned to Ezri. “You know you don't have to do this don't you? Julian is involved because he developed the potential cure, but you don't have to throw away your career over this. You could still back out, pretend you didn't hear anything.”

“No, I couldn't,” said Ezri sombrely. “Odo was my friend. I watched him die and it was awful. If I can help prevent that from happening to the rest of his people then I will. Besides, its the right thing to do. I'd much rather be a disgraced ex-Starfleet officer discharged for doing the right thing than keep my job and be complicit in genocide. I'm coming with you.”

Kira nodded. “You are a Dax through and through. Once you've made your mind up there's no stopping you. Thank you. For being a good friend.”

Ezri just smiled and gave her a hug.

Julian had managed to beat them to the brig and was stood outside attempting to act nonchalant and failing badly. The guard outside the door looked like they were starting to get suspicious. Kira was still wearing her Starfleet uniform; she just marched straight up, nodded at the Ensign on duty and strode into the brig, Ezri and Julian falling in behind her.

The Female Changeling stood impassively behind the forcefield, her skin flaking worse than ever. Another member of security was stood by the cell, her hand on the phaser strapped to her hip. She snapped to attention at the sight of three senior officers entering the room.

“Give us a minute will you?” Kira said to the ensign, who glanced worriedly at the Changeling before nodding and leaving the room.

“Colonel Kira, how good of you to visit,” said the Founder. “And you've brought Doctor Bashir and Lieutenant Dax. For what reason I wonder. Have you come to gloat? To seek revenge?”

“No, nothing like that,” said Kira. “We have a proposition for you.”

“Well, since I am on this side of the forcefield I don't have that much choice whether I listen to you. What is your proposition? Have you come to renege on your offer to let me die in the Gamma Quadrant?”

“No,” said Kira. “I'm here to offer you the chance to make that trip alive.”

“You have found a cure for this disease?”

“A potential cure, yes,” said Julian.

“How is this possible? Teams of Vorta scientists working night and day could not find a cure.”

“Your teams of Vorta scientists didn't get the chance to study the disease in its final stages,” Julian said. “Suffice to say those observations allowed me to develop a treatment. I have it with me now, we just need to know whether you're willing to test it.”

“If the cure is successful, will it be taken to the Gamma Quadrant to cure the Great Link? Or will your vaunted Federation simply use it as a bargaining chip to ensure the conditions of our surrender are to their greatest benefit?”

“That won't happen, you have my word,” said Kira. “If the cure is successful I will find a way to get it to the rest of your people, I swear to the Prophets.”

“If I can trust any oath, it is an oath sworn to your gods, Colonel. Very well, you may administer the treatment, Doctor.”

“I should warn you,” said Julian, “I've had no way of testing this. And I have no idea if any safeguards were built into the virus to prevent treatment. As far as I know there's as much chance it will kill you as cure you.”

“I don't have much choice at this stage, Doctor. My people are dying, and the closest anyone has come to a cure is in your hands. I do hope you can all avoid court martial if this goes badly.”

Julian nodded to Ezri, who shut off the forcefield. He stepped forward, produced a pre-prepared hypospray and quickly administered it. And then they waited.

At first nothing happened; Julian's shoulders slumped at the thought that all his work had been for nothing. But then the Female Changeling's form began to ripple. She cried out briefly in pain, before transforming into a column of shimmering gold. The three humanoids held their breath, hoping against hope that this was a sign it was working instead of an indication it was killing her. After a few moments, she regained her normal humanoid form without the flaking.

“Well, did it work?” Ezri asked.

Julian pulled out a medical tricorder. “Your morphogenic matrix is stable, and I'm not detecting any traces of the virus. How do you feel?”

“Much better Doctor. It seems your cure has worked.”“Now we just need to avoid getting thrown in jail long enough to get the cure to the rest of your people,” Kira said darkly.

***

In the end, the three of them didn't get court-martialled, but it was a close run thing. It took the combined shouting of Kira, Sisko and Admiral Ross to convince Starfleet command that they had done the right thing and that the Federation allowing a rogue agency to commit genocide would be looked upon unfavourably by their allies.

Starfleet Command and the Federation Council eventually conceded—after a few favours were pulled within the Bajoran Government to lean on them—that Kira, Julian and Ezri had in fact done them a service. Instead of court-martialling the three of them the Federation were going to pin medals on them, so it ended up working out quite well for everyone in the end.

Kira knew she was pushing her luck by demanding to be included in the negotiations of the terms of surrender, but they couldn't shut out the person who had single-handedly ended the war; the public outcry would have been enormous. Everyone involved in the negotiations came to regret not pushing harder to exclude her.

It took days of negotiations before the Female Founder would talk to anyone but Kira. And when she did finally agree to speak to the Alliance representatives instead, Kira kept putting herself back in the line of fire by repeatedly insisting she be allowed to take the Founder home to cure her people, or take the cure without her. This suggestion was met with repeated and steadfast resistance, particularly from the Klingon and Romulan representatives.

The Federation ambassador at the talks, however, was Vulcan and therefore took Kira's side. She failed to see the logic in withholding the cure now it had proven successful, and she abhorred the idea of knowingly allowing a species to die out when there was a means to prevent it. In the end, the Kira was successful. The Federation bigwigs would let her keep her promise, much to her relief; she wasn't sure she would get away with stealing both a runabout _and_ the Founder after giving her the cure without permission.

The treaty was signed, and the war _officially_ came to an end. While the Federation Alliance counted their losses and worked to establish relief efforts on Cardassia, Kira prepared for what she expected would be an emotionally draining journey to the Gamma Quadrant.

Starfleet Security tried to strong arm her into taking a couple of their people with her, but Kira refused; the Founder would never reveal the location of the Changeling's new homeworld while they were present and anyway, this trip was far more personal than she had let on in the treaty negotiations.

They set off less than a week after the surrender was signed. The Female Founder simply programmed in the coordinates for their destination and then retired to a rear compartment for the duration of the journey.

As a result, the trip to the heart of the Dominion was quiet and more than a little tense. The Founder hardly came out of her room, and when she did there was little conversation; it seemed that now Kira had shown that she would keep her promise they had very little to say to each other. This would have been fine by her if it hadn't left her alone with her thoughts and her grief.

She spent a lot of time thinking about Odo.

About how much she missed him and that he should be the one with her on this journey to the Gamma Quadrant, not the Founder. If only Julian had managed to find a cure earlier... Odo would have liked nothing more than to be the one to heal his people and it cut Kira deeply that he never got the chance.

She spent a lot of time wondering what Odo would do if he were here. Would he have stayed with the Great Link after delivering the cure or would he have returned to _Deep Space Nine_ with her? How might she have reacted if he had decided to stay? As much as she would have hated to lose him—she certainly hated that she'd lost him in this world—she wasn't sure she'd have been able to forgive him if he'd chosen to come back with her instead of staying with the Founders. Mostly Kira just mourned the fact she would never know; he wasn't here to be able to make that decision.

Her best friend and the man she loved was gone, and in his place was a cantankerous Changeling who was content to ignore her. It wasn't a fair trade.

But bitterness wouldn't change anything and couldn't stop them making steady progress to their destination. The Female Changeling eventually surfaced to announce that they were close and to assist with the final manoeuvres into orbit. They beamed down to the surface together.

Kira gasped in shock as she saw the Great Link. She finally understood what Ezri had meant about never seeing that particular shade of blue again. It was a sickly colour that reminded her of the poisonous marshes in the south of Rakantha Province. The Link looked half rotten and was eerily still; the usual lap of changeling goo against the shore was absent, and noticeably so.

But the disease could be cured, the Female Changeling was proof of that. All that was left was for her to join the Link. Julian was certain that this would be sufficient to transmit the cure to every affected Changeling. But just in case, he'd calibrated the dose required to cure a large portion of the Link and sent Kira with an oversized hypospray.

“Well,” said Kira to break the tension. “I brought you back.”

“You kept your promise Colonel, and for that I am grateful.” She paused for a moment, as though she was reconsidering what she was going to say next. “I must say that you have made me reconsider whether we have misjudged you solids. It is possible that you are not all as bad as previous interactions suggested.”

Kira looked taken aback. “I appreciate you saying that. Now you just have to convince the rest of your people of that, neither the Federation nor the Dominion can afford another war like the one we've just had.” The Female Changeling nodded her agreement. “If could do me one more favour,” said Kira. “Please ask them to give the Alpha Quadrant some time to heal before reaching out to make peace properly. I think both sides could do with some time to think.”

“I will of course share my thoughts and experiences with the Great Link. What they choose to do with the knowledge is up to the Link.”

And with that there wasn't much else to say. The Founder took a few steps into the Link before turning into a column of shimmering gold and losing her form to join her people. Kira watched as the cure took hold, the golden puddle that had been the Female Founder spreading as more Changelings absorbed Julian's treatments. Soon the healthy gold colour had spread as far as the eye could see. It had worked! Section 31 had attempted to commit genocide using Odo as a vector, but they hadn't succeeded. Kira and her friends had seen to that.

It felt like a great weight had been lifted from Kira's shoulders. Odo was still gone—and nothing could bring him back—but his people would no longer share the same fate. They would have the opportunity to learn and grow and put things right with the Federation. All the needed now was time, and for the Female Changeling to be successful in persuading the Link. Kira settled down next to a rock; all she could do now was wait.

She had dozed off by the time the Founder re-emerged from the Link though a quick check of the chronometer told her she'd been in there less than an hour. Kira was a little surprised to see her again; she'd half expected her to go back on her word and remain with the Link instead of returning to serve the prison sentence she'd agreed to as part of the peace treaty. They'd have had a hell of a job trying to part one belligerent Changeling from an ocean of Prophets knew how many of them. And she'd have been only too happy to explain this to anyone who might have shouted at her for returning to the Alpha Quadrant empty handed. Not that she'd have to now, so it was a moot point.

“I wasn't expecting to see you again,” said Kira. “I thought you might want to stay with your people.”

“The temptation to remain with the Link was strong, but if there is to be peace between Changelings and Solids someone has to make a gesture of trust. You bringing me back to heal the Link was such a gesture, my returning to DS9 with you as promised is simply returning the gesture. Besides, serving my prison sentence as agreed is the just thing to do.”

Kira smiled sadly. “You sound just like Odo when you talk about justice. He would have approved.”

“You miss Odo, don't you Colonel?”

“Every day,” said Kira. “I loved him. Part of me always will.”

“If you don't mind my asking, what became of Odo's remains?”

“I brought them with me actually, they're on the runabout. I'm not sure what Changelings normally do with your people's remains, but I was hoping to leave them here, along with a small memorial. Would that be all right?”

“We do not normally bother to do anything with them. It is usually sufficient if an individual's memories experiences are part of the Great Link since they effectively go on living through the Link. But... Odo was far from usual for a Changeling. You may leave your memorial.”

“Thank you.” Kira tapped her comm badge. “Execute transport protocol Kira One.”

With a hum the transporter activated and Odo's old bucket materialised on the planet's surface. There was now a brass plaque attached to the side of the bucket with the basic details of Odo's humanoid life; the year he was found, the date of his death. And as long as the Great Link still stood it would be known that Odo had befriended Solids, had been loved by Solids and had been the best lawman in the Alpha Quadrant.

Kira reached into her jacket and pulled out a small vial of black powder—all that was left of the man she loved—and placed it in the bucket. She stood back to pay her respects at the memorial she had chosen for Odo. She said a quick prayer to the Prophets that Odo's pagh was at peace—wherever it was—wiped the tears from her eyes and turned to the Female Founder.

“Shall we?”

“Before we leave, I am curious about something. If you did not think I would return from the Link, why did you remain on the planet instead of returning to the runabout?”

Kira shrugged. “Plausible deniability. I had to stay long enough to be absolutely certain you weren't coming back, and long enough to satisfy whoever it is that debriefs me when I get back. I know it can be difficult to keep track of time when you're in the Link so... I waited.”

The return journey was much less tense than the outbound trip had been. The Changeling still spent much of the time in her aft compartment, but she did emerge occasionally to talk with Kira. Now that her people weren't in immediate danger she was willing to discuss possibilities for the future, how the Founders might learn to interact with Solids, and how the Dominion might move forward in their relationship with the Alpha Quadrant powers. Kira still frequently wished that Odo was there, but at least returning his remains to his people had given her some closure. The wound felt just that little bit less raw.

For the first time since that awful moment on the Breen warship, Kira felt hopeful.

As soon as the runabout cleared docking at DS9 the Founder was carted off by a horde of Starfleet security personnel. They wanted to drag Kira off as well to debrief her, but she simply glared and they agreed that it could wait. Waiting patiently behind the sea of mustard uniforms were Ezri and Julian; they were a sight for Kira's sore eyes. They greeted their friend with enormous hugs.

Pulling back to give her some space Julian asked her how the trip was.

Kira sighed tiredly. “Difficult, but cathartic. The Link is healed and Odo has been laid to rest. I feel at peace though there's still healing to do.”

“Good job you've got an excellent counsellor on board,” said Ezri cheerfully, making Kira smile. “So, what now?”

“Now we have to avoid repercussions from Section 31,” said Julian darkly. “I have no doubt that they're not happy we foiled their plans to wipe out the Founders, and they do seem like the revenge types. We should be on our guard.”

“That's not good enough,” Kira said, her voice like steel. “I won't wait around for Thirty-one to come after me. I say we take the fight to them.” Ezri and Julian looked at her with their mouths wide open. Kira just grinned. “I've fought the Cardassians and the Dominion, I've even fought the Federation a few times and won. I'm not afraid of them, and I won't give them the chance to try committing genocide again. What do you say? Are you with me?”

“Absolutely,” said Ezri.

“You know I am,” Julian replied.

Kira set her face like stone. “Then let's get to it. Let's take down Section 31.”

 

 


End file.
